Home decor often involves the tedious application of moldings, wallpaper, borders, and the like. Decorating a home with wall paper can become rather expensive since many rolls are required, and each roll of wall paper typically costs twenty to one hundred dollars. Furthermore, hanging the paper requires skill, patience, and time. Often, homeowners lack sufficient skill to properly hang wallpaper, or lack the time or patience to properly hang the wall paper. As a result, homeowners hire professionals to hang the wallpaper, increasing the cost to wallpaper a home. A further drawback of wall paper is that it is difficult to remove from wall surfaces when redecorating, particularly when the wallpaper is improperly hung. Yet another drawback of wall paper is that a homeowner must rely on the availability of patterns and colors, and hope that one is available which matches the style and color desired. Decorating with paint, therefore, has become an economical alternative to wall paper.
In part due to the reasons discussed above, painting a room has become a popular way to decorate a room. Some individuals previously considered painting as a boring option. However, now the increased availability of new colors in combination with many different methods of application can create a look quite similar to that of expensive wallpaper.
Paint is available in a wide variety of colors. Many stores also offer mixing services, where the store employee mixes a color based on a sample which you provide. Even with these variety of colors, a person applying the paint is limited to using only one color. Alternatively, a person may apply multiple layers, creating a look containing many colors. However, this is a very time consuming approach since typically the initial layer of paint must be dry before the next layer can be applied. Alternatively, the person applying paint can utilize several different paint pans. However, having multiple pans of paint out available for use creates other disadvantages. First, significant floor space is occupied by the multiple paint pans. The person may inadvertently step into the pan and spill excess paint on shoes, clothing, and even the floor. Second, the paint in a pan not used as frequently as the others may acquire a skin on the top surface due to a drying effect. This results in impurities which remain in the pan, and eventually contaminate the roller when the paint is applied to a wall.
One approach to providing multiple colors of paint is taught in "A Guide to Color & Decorating with Paint," published by Benjamin Moore & Co. of Toronto, Canada. A standard paint tray is provided, and a method for containing multiple colors is described. A piece of cardboard is inserted in the tray while the paint is being poured in, and the cardboard is then removed. However, this approach has several disadvantages. The paint colors may mix due to an uneven resting surface, or from agitation from the roller itself. The mixed colors create uneven results on the painted surface. Controlling the cardboard while simultaneously pouring paint is difficult. Further, the cardboard is full of paint when it is removed and is therefore an additional mess for a painter to deal with. Once the cardboard is removed, and the paint mixes due to an uneven resting surface or the pan is inadvertently kicked, the mistake of mixing the paint is irrevocable.
Accordingly, what is needed is a paint apparatus for accommodating a plurality of colors of paint. What is further needed is a way to ensure a paint application device is properly loaded.